N.J. voters: Christie should drop presidential bid

New Jersey voters want their governor to drop out of the race for president.

That's the overwhelming result of a new Quinnipiac University poll released Tuesday.

Just 8 percent of Republicans in the state back Chris Christie for president, and 61 percent of all voters say the governor should drop out of the race, according to the poll.

Donald Trump garnered the most support among New Jersey Republicans, with 31 percent. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton leads among Democrats in the state, with 56 percent of those surveyed supporting her.

The rough poll numbers come as Christie prepares to take the stage in the undercard debate Tuesday night, having failed to reach enough support in national polls to earn a spot in the main event.

Among New Jersey Republicans, 53 percent say the governor should stay in the presidential race, while 40 percent think he should drop out. Democratic and independent voters overwhelmingly believe he should drop out, with 77 percent of Democrats and 66 percent of independents saying he should end his bid.

While most New Jersey voters don't support the governor's presidential bid, he's also earning low marks for his work at home.

Overall, 63 percent said the campaign was a distraction from Christie's gubernatorial duties, the poll found, and 59 percent of voters disapprove of the job he's doing as governor.

Christie had negative approval ratings for his handling of the economy and jobs, the state budget, and education, but 64 percent still described him as a strong leader.

The poll surveyed 1,456 New Jersey voters between Nov. 4 and Nov. 8. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points overall, with a margin of 4.5 percent percentage points for its survey of Republican voters and 4.2 percentage points for Democrats.